Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – A degree is no longer the only ticket to a successful career. Today, although business processes aren't always up to speed, it's concrete, on-the-job skills that make the difference in the selection process. This unusual snapshot was captured by Michael Page, a global recruitment consultancy, in its "Spotlight on Skills" survey, part of the global "Talent Trends 2026" report, conducted on a sample of 30.000 candidates from around the world.
The study shows a clear reversal of the trend: for those seeking work today, skills count more than educational qualifications, which, however, remain very important.
The survey results highlight how candidates have already embraced this shift in perspective, preceding companies in adopting a skills-first approach: 86% of them say employers and recruiters already value skills over a degree, while 75% believe a solid set of skills can compensate for the lack of a university degree.
Finally, 80% recognize the value of academic training, which is still considered a fundamental requirement for accessing the best opportunities, especially in certain specific sectors (legal, HR, finance, and tech).
“We must not think,” explains Pamela Bonavita, managing director of Michael Page, “that practical skills and study paths are in conflict with each other or mutually exclusive; on the contrary.
Although 40% of the candidates interviewed place greater importance on skills than on previous work experience, the real strength lies in integration: today, in fact, those looking for work (2/3 of respondents) do not hesitate to apply when they believe they possess most of the required requirements.
The importance of skills varies depending on the role: while interpersonal skills and soft skills appear to be predominant in sales, operations, and other areas where people interact, hard skills remain the key in highly specialized technical sectors (construction, IT, finance, and engineering). Continuous learning has become an integral part of daily working life: 7 out of 10 professionals (68%) have taken a refresher course in the last 12 months to improve their skills, preferring online courses (64%), formal qualifications (50%), and in-house training (47%).
There are various motivations behind reskilling and upskilling: 59% cite a potential promotion (a motivation that primarily drives male candidates), 58% cite a career change (the primary motivation for women), and 47% cite the desire to remain competitive in the market. The benefits of this investment in training are already evident for 68% of professionals, who report having seen immediate benefits in their professional lives.
"Candidates," adds Pamela Bonavita, "seem to have understood the importance of a skills-based assessment before organizations. At the corporate level, this approach remains uneven, but this will make the difference in the future when it comes to hiring and retaining top talent. It's increasingly necessary to invest in ongoing training for resources, define open positions based on activities and not just qualifications, and identify the ideal mix of soft and hard skills to broaden the pool of potential talent. This is the only way to overcome the limitations of traditional recruiting and identify those with the right know-how to drive innovation within the company. Only companies that are the first to move in this direction will be able to bridge the gap with candidate expectations and secure a solid and undeniable competitive advantage."
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